Tied to The Twin Rivers
by Zeroku
Summary: On her first day of school Chihiro meets a girl named Zero, and makes a friend that will last forever. Seven years later the world has been plunged into war and Kohaku returns, badly injured, with a plea for help from the Spirit World
1. Zero Ryorei

"Class, we have a new student," the entire room, minus one girl, looked up at Chihiro with judging eyes,"this is Ogino Chihiro."  
  
Chihiro bowed politely,"Hello."  
  
"Please find a seat."the teacher, a young woman with cropped red hair and big green eyes smiled at her.  
  
Chihiro looked around and sat down in a seat next to the window in the back of the room. She looked at the girl next to her. There was something familiar about her. Her waste-length dark red, almost black, hair fell loosely in her pale face, and her eyes were hidden behind black sunglasses.  
  
"Alright, class,"the teacher smiled,"as you know we are starting our study on ancient myths, such as spirits. To start off the semester all of you will be doing team reports on the myth of your choice." a round of moans and groans went up around the room. "I will partner you off, but you can chose the myth. It can be an old legend, some kind of spirit, or something else that I forgot to mention. And the teams are," she picked up a clip board on her desk, "Mina and Lauren, Serena and Darien, Kira and Link, Jason and Eric, Yui and Tori, Sakura and Li, (I'm watching Card Captor Sakura, so sue me!) Ryouga and Ranma, and Chihiro and Zero."  
  
The girl next to Chihiro suddenly sat up,"Excuse me?!"  
  
"Zero, please, I don't want to go through this again. You have to have a partner."  
  
Zero gave an annoyed grunt,"Did you have to stick me with an A Crowd wanna be?"  
  
"She's new, if anyone can show her the ropes of this town, miss Ryorei. Now please, don't start."  
  
Zero muttered something inaudible under her breath,"Yes, Sensei Minlo." She went back to what she'd been working on.  
  
Miss Minlo smiled,"Thank you, now, for the rest of class you will be partnered off and begin working on your reports. Move you desk together with your partners."  
  
Chihiro gave a wary look towards Zero, who returned it with a cold stare. She blew a strand of hair out of her face,"Come on, might as well get this over with."  
  
Chihiro got up and slid her desk up to Zero's,"So....what do you want to do for out report?"  
  
Zero glared up at her,"What do you want to do?"  
  
Chihiro thought about it for a moment, then Haku popped into her head,"What about river spirits?"  
  
Zero grinned for a moment,"River spirits? Why do you say that?"  
  
"Well, I grew up next to the Kohaku River, and, a few years ago, my shoe fell off while I was on a boat. When I tried to grab it I fell in. I didn't know how to swim, so I should have drowned, but, something carried me back to shore, with my shoe. I just think it may have been the sprit of the river that saved me."  
  
Zero eyed her through the black suglasses,"The Kohaku River, I see. Didn't they fill it in a while ago?"  
  
"Yeah, then my parents made me move here. I loved playing by the river, as long as I didn't fall in. I miss it so much, and my old friends."  
  
Zero fingered something gold around her neck. Chihiro realized that it was half of a gold amulet shaped like a dragon's eyes. "Alright, river spirits it is."  
  
"You....don't think I'm crazy?"Chihiro asked.  
  
"Crazy?"Zero chuckled,"The rest of these freaks might think so, but what people beleive is their business, besides, someone who grows up on a river like the Zeroku has to beleive in spirits."  
  
"The Zeroku?"  
  
"I'm suprised you haven't heard of it. The Zeroku River runs on the edge of town, it's said to be the Hohaku's twin because the two begin and end at the same point. They start at a huge waterfall about fifty miles north of here, and they end at the Sea of Japan. Both rivers are exactly three hundred miles long and run exactly parallel to eachother the entire time."  
  
"Would that mean the spirits are twins too?"Chihiro asked.  
  
"Alot of people think that the river spirits are twins, Zeroku literally means 'Dark Half'."  
  
Chihiro glanced down at the paper Zero had been idly drawing on. It was a sketch of a crystal clear waterfall that fell down into a river that very quickly split into two. "Is that the waterfall you told me about?"  
  
Zero nodded,"Bright girl. You might not be such a pain after all."  
  
  
  
"Mom, I'm home!"Chihiro slipped her shoes of and walked into the kitchen,"Mom!! Where is she?"  
  
She walked into the living room, where she saw her mother asleep on the couch. There were boxes scattered around the room, waiting to be unpacked. Chihiro shrugged and decided to go out and explore. She walked back outside and pulled her shoes on,"Maybe I can find the Zeroku river."  
  
She got on her bike and began to peddle through the town. After about half an hour she came to the edge of town, and began riding through the forest. It was dark, and a little creepy, but she kept going. It felt like she had been riding forever, but it felt good, being away from the city. She thought about everything that had happened in the last week, especially meeting Kohaku. Maybe, if she did ever get to the Zeroku River, she'd meet the river spirit there. He'd probably like to know that his brother is ok.  
  
Suddenly she veered off to the left for no reason. She began to go faster, and several tree branches slapped her face. Suddenly she burst into a clearing and, though she tried to stop, ran right into a river. She fell to the bottom, unconscious. A claw suddenly reached into the water, and picked her up. It set her down on the river's edge. Chihiro's eyes fluttered open for a minute. For a fleeting moment she thought it was Kohaku staring down at her, but then she realized this dragon was different. Instead of silver scales this one had black and its mane was blood red, but the eyes, they were exactly like Kohaku's.  
  
"Are you Zeroku?"Chihiro asked weakly. The dragon nodded. "Kohaku is alive."  
  
The dragon's eyes went wide,"Kohaku....where is he?"  
  
"Yubaba's bath house."Chihiro sighed,"He saved me from Yubaba."  
  
A light grin spread across the dragon's face,"Thank you, Chihiro. I've been very worried about Kohaku. He gets into more trouble than I do. Now, go to sleep."  
  
  
  
"Chihiro, Chihiro, wake up."  
  
Chihiro's eyes fluttered open to see Zero sitting on her knees next to her,"Zero?"  
  
"What are you doing out here?"Zero asked.  
  
"I fell into the river,"Chihro shook her head,"Zeroku saved me."  
  
Zero grinned,"What is it with you and falling in rivers? Well, since you're here, why don't we get to work on our report?"  
  
Chihiro sat up,"You still believe me?"  
  
"I saw Zeroku pull you out of the river, of course I beleive you."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Zero rubbed her amulet again,"If you want to fit in around here, I suggest you don't mention this to anyone popular."  
  
Chihiro thought about it,"But, shouldn't you be able to tell your friends anything?"  
  
"That's the down side to being popular,"zero shrugged,"and that's why I keep to myself. There's no one in this city that's trust worthy."  
  
Sudenly something snapped behind them. Zero jumped to her feet as a pure white centaur with pale skin, red hair that, if it were any longer, would have touched the ground, and huge angel wings at the point where his body changed from horse to human. Zero went wide eyed and bowed very low,"Great Forest Spirit."  
  
The spirit looked down at Chihiro,"What is she doing here?"  
  
"She fell in the river, and Zeroku savd her."Zero explained, straightening herself,"And, a few years ago she was saved by Kohaku aswell."  
  
"That does not matter, Zero, humans are not allowed in this forest, you know that."the centaur stamped his foot,"The punishment for trespassing here...."  
  
"is death, I know, I know."Zero finished,"Please, Kohaku and Zeroku saw something special in her, please, spare her."  
  
Chihiro was mortified. She was standing in a clearing listenign to the only person in town who'd shown her any kindness since she arrived arguing with a centaur nearly three times as big as her, trying to save her life.  
  
"We have no choice,"the spirit growled,"the forest is cursed, the moment she leaves she will die. Only spirits and guardians are allowed in this sacred place."  
  
"Then make her a guardian, you have the power."Zero retorted,"She has magic in her, and, I'm guessing she has the sight because she certainly doesn't look very calm right now."  
  
Chihiro looked around, they were completely surrounded by animals and spirits, all of which looked ready to pounce and kill the two girls,"Oh god." 


	2. Guardian, and Death

"Uh, Zero."Chihiro looked around nervously,"I think we're in trouble."  
  
Zero glared at the spirits all around them,"Don't worry, the only one worth worrying about is the big ugly bear back in the treees, he's the only one stupid enough to attack, even if he did, he'd be dead before he coudl take two steps, wether it be at my hand, Madenso's,"she glanced at the centaur,"or Zeroku's. We're just fine."  
  
"'You are, but she's not."one of the braver spirits, a large deer with the face of a man, approached them,"If one of us doesn't kill her the curse will."  
  
Zero pulled Chihiro behind her,"You lay onr finger on her and Zeroku will destroy all of you. She wishes the girl to live, as does Kohaku."  
  
"Kohaku is dead to us!"a large red dragon with a green mane emerged from the trees,"You know that!"  
  
"Kohaku is alive, Chihiro saw him with her own eyes!"Zero retorted,"If you don't beleive me ask her for yourself!"  
  
All eyes turned to Chihiro and Madenso apporached them,"Is this true, have you seen Kohaku?"  
  
Chihiro nodded,"Yes sir. He helped me save my parents from Yubaba, and he saved me from drowning when I was little."  
  
The whole forest went into a hush and a large blue dragon with a white mane approached them. Her face was worn and old. She set her head on Chihiro's shoulder and inhaled deeply,"She's right, Kohaku's scent is still on her. He's alive."  
  
"No matter!"the first dragon snapped,"He is still dead to us!"  
  
"How can you speak so coldly of your own son?!"the second dragon snapped angrily,"Especially with Zeroku so close, you know how much he meant to her!"  
  
"ENOUGH!"Madenso shouted,"It is clear that this girl is not normal. She has the sight and has gained the trust of our daughter and the twin rivers! Mae, what do you say to this?"  
  
The second drgon looked at Chihiro,"I think we should maek her a guardian, besides, Zero needs a friend. This world is harsh and wicked, and both girls will need someone to depend on. I beleive the girl will make a good guardian."  
  
"Where is Zeroku?"Madenso asked.  
  
"I will find her."Zero bowed lightly,"If even one of you touches Chihiro I swear I'll kill you all!" With that she dove into the river.  
  
For a few minutes everything was quiet, then, suddenly Zeroku erupted from the water, with Zero on her back. The dragon landed on the ground next to Chihiro,"Yes, great spirit?"  
  
"Zeroku, what would you say to taking this child as your guardian?"Madenso asked.  
  
Zeroku smiled lovingly at the girl,"It's better than these pathetic animals, atleast she could keep intruders out of the forest."  
  
"Finally someone with some common sense."Mae grinned,"You are truely Kohaku's sister."  
  
"Then the decision is made,"Madenso walked over and put a hand on Chihiro's head,"from this day forward Chihiro is a guardian Zeroku and her river, as well as the entire forest! She will always be welcome among us, and will be seen as a daughter of Mae and Artine, just as Zero and their true children are! She will be treated with the same respect as any guardian, if not, more! Now, all of you, scram!" Everyone besides Zeroku, Zero, and Madenso vanished into the shadows. "Now then," he turned back to the girls,"Zero, it's up to you to teach and train Chihiro as a guardian, and Chihiro, you are to listen to everything Zero and Zeroku tell you, undersood?" The girls nodded. "Good."With that the centaur vanished.  
  
Zeroku turned to the two girls,"You'd probably better get home, Chihiro, your parents are probably worried by now."  
  
Chihiro nodded,"Yeah, they probably are, but, it'll take me hours to get home."  
  
"Zero?"said girl looked up at the dragon. "Can you take Chihiro home?"  
  
"Of course."Zero bowed politely and took Chihiro's hand.  
  
The two girls began floating, then shoot off through the trees as Zeroku vanished behind them.  
  
Chihiru watched the trees sail by,"Wow."  
  
"Cool, huh?"Zero smiled,"You'll learn how to do this, too, among other thing. You'll have to tell me and Zeroku how you met Kohaku."  
  
"Ok, I will."Chihiru smiled. Within minutes the two girls were on Chihiru's doorstep. "Why don't you spend the night tonight? You can start teaching me and I can tell you how I met Kohaku."  
  
Zero nodded,"Ok, sounds good. I need to get some rest and sleeping out in the forest isn't a walk in the park."  
  
"Mom, Dad, I'm home!"the two girls slipped off their shoes and walked into the living room.  
  
Chihiro's parents were sitting on a large box watching the news. the girls' attention was turned to the tv, where they were making an important announcement.  
  
"World War III has officially begun." Zero and Chihiro sat down on the floor. "Today England and the United states declared war against China, Vietnam, North Korea, and Russia. Japanese leaders are speaking to American Ambassidors as I speak, and, before the end of the month, we two could be involved in this war."  
  
Zero rubbed her temples,'Not again, not another World War! Half of my river was destroyed when they bombed Nagasaki! Thank the gods we'll be on America's side this time.'  
  
Chihiro looked ready to faint,"War? This can't get any worse!"  
  
Suddenly the ground started shaking and several pictures fell off the walls. The shaking ot worse and worse and Zero, only because she dug her figernails into the wood, was the only one who didn't fall over. A sickening crack was heard outside, makign Zero cringe. Suddenly the ground split and began to pull apart, Zero on one side, Chihiro on the other. The shaking was getting violent now, and Chihiro swore she saw lava at the bottom of the crack. Chihiro screamed in fright, hurting Zero's ears even more. all through this, Chihiro's parents hadn't moved, and Zero was starting to worry.  
  
Suddenly, the shakign stopped. Zero pulled herself to her feet and jumped across the crack, which, she guessed, was about twenty feet across. She pulled the shaking Chihiro close to her,"It's ok, shh, it's ok. It's over. It was just Madenso, he's mad about the war." But she knew it wasn't, there was something sinister happening, and it was frightening her, oh, how it was frightening her. Suddenly her attention was turned to Chihiro's parents, woh hadn't budged during the quake. She gently pulled Chihiro up and walked over to them. The smell of blood invaded her nose, and then she knew,"Chihiro, stay here." She walked around the couch to look at the two humans. Both had their eyes and mouth wide open in an eternal scream of fright, and both had long, red swords embeded in their chests. She felt something sticky and warm pooled around her feet. She didn't need to look, it was blood. They'd been dead for hours. "Chihiro...."  
  
The girl walked up next to her, and tears immediately began to fall,"No....." She broke down in racked sobs and fell to her knees in the pool of blood.  
  
Zero bent down next to her and hugged her close,"It's ok, just cry, cry all you want." 'Why, why her, gods, why Chihiro? She doesn't deserve this. She's just a child, she doesn't deserve to lose her parents.' 


	3. Fly

Three years can change a person, especially after their world is torn apart. No one knows that better than Chihiro. Her parents were dead, her best friend, her Kohaku, was nowhere to be found, and she was stuck living in the middle of a cursed forest with a short temepered girl who had YET to take her suglasses off, not to mention, now, Zero was trying to get her to fly! Currently, said girl, now thirteen with nearly knee length hair, was sitting, yes, sitting, on large cloud with her hands folded behind her head.  
  
Chihiro looked over the edge of the cloud,"I'll fall."  
  
Zero glared at her through her black sunglasses,"Chihiro, you won't fall. You're a psychic, psychics don't fall."  
  
"And what if you're wrong?"Chihiro asked,"What if my element isn't psychic?"  
  
"You honestly think Mae, Madenso, and I are all wrong?"Zero asked, playing with a loose strand of hair,"We know what we're saying. Mae is older than even the twin rivers themselves, and Madenso is even older, they've been doing this for over five thousand years."  
  
"They can still be wrong."Chihiro wined.  
  
"Ugh."Zero got fed up and the cloud the two girls were sitting on vanished.  
  
"ZERO!!!!!!!!!"Chihiro shreiked, plummeting to the earth.  
  
"FLY!"  
  
"I'M TRYING!!"  
  
"STOP TRYING AND JUST DO IT!"  
  
Chihiro let out a low moan and closed her eyes,'Fly.' She imagined herself flying over the river, chasing Zero.  
  
"Open your eyes or you're gonna crash into something."Zero was right next to her.  
  
Her eyes shot open, she was flying right of the Zeroku River, and she could see Zero's reflection in the water next to her,"I'm flying!!"  
  
"Told ya so."Zero snickered,"You're a psychic, now, up." She shot into the air, her black shirt flying around her.  
  
Chihiro concentrated, and she suddenly shot into the air, right behind Zero,"Comin' through!!"  
  
Zero simply went faster,"Like you could catch me."  
  
"ZERO!!! CHIHIRO!!!"  
  
Chihiro suddenly fell, right into the arms of a young man with dirty blond hair,"AH!!"  
  
"HEERO!!"Zero snapped angrily,"I finally got Chihiro to fly and you scared her!"  
  
"Sorry."Heero shook his head,"There's a bunch of hunters on the forest's northern edge, you need to get rid of them."  
  
"Why can't you, baka tree sprit."Zero hissed.  
  
"Because I have to hunt down Gakasaki."Heero said simply,"Unless you want the crazy river spirit running amoc in the town."  
  
Zero gave him a menacing glare,"Fine. Chihiro and I will chase them to the bath house, Yubaba probably need some new pigs."  
  
Chihiro shook her head,"I'm just getting the hang of fly, I can't take them on!"  
  
"Chi, listen to yourself, you sound like you've never done anything like this before."Zero grumbled,"Now let's go."  
  
Chihiro jumped out of Heero's arms and flew alongside Zero,"Are you sure this is a good idea?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
The two girls flew low through the trees. Within minutes they came to a clearing in the forest where five men were standing in a circle around something.   
  
Zero could easily smell the blood of a deer,"That's them. I can smell deer blood. Can you megaphone my voice?" Chihiro nodded and her eyes began to glow purple. Zero took a deep breath,"HUMANS!!!!!!!!!" The men jumped in shock as Zero's voice shook the trees. "LEAVE NOW, OR SUFFER THE CONCEQUENCES!!"  
  
The apparent leader, a big, bulky mad with black hair looked around,"Who are you?! what is this, some kind of joke!?"  
  
"I AM THE GUARDIAN ON THIS FOREST, AND I WARN YOU NOW, LEAVE OR YOU WILL DIE!!!"Zero retorted.  
  
"Yeah right."the leader snapped,"And I'm Queen Elizabeth!"  
  
"Yeah, you are."Chihiro grinned as her eyes glowed brighter.  
  
The leader looked down, he had somehow transformed into Queen Elizabeth,"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"NOW DO YOU BELEIVE ME?!"Zero roared,"IT IS TOO LATE FOR YOU, YOU WILL DIE UPON LEAVING MY FOREST!!"  
  
"Oh, great guardian!"the leader fell down on his knees,"What must we do to live?"  
  
"GO TO THE OLD THEME PARK ON THE EDGE OF TOWN AND EAT ALL THE FOOD YOU CAN FIND, AND YOU ARE NOT TO LEAVE UNTIL AFTER SUNDOWN!"Zero roared, her voice echoing through the trees,"NOW, GO, AND NEVER RETURN!!!!!!"  
  
The hunters jumped up and ran as fast as their pathetic human legs could carry them. As soon as they were out of hearing range Zero and Chihiro broke down laughing.  
  
"That was rich!"Zero said between fits of laughter,"They acutally bought it! Kohaku would have loved that!" She immediately regretted her choice of words,"Ugh, tender subjet, sorry."  
  
"It's ok."Chihiro got up,"Let's get back to the river, Mae's probably worried about us."  
  
Zero set a gentle hand on her shoulder,"He'll be back, Chi, don't worry."  
  
"What if he got hurt?"Chihiro asked,"Or Yubaba wouldn't release him?"  
  
Zero shook her head,'She's right. Something like that could have happened, but I'd feel it if it did, wouldn't I?'  
  
"Or, he really didn't care?"Chihiro fought back her tears.  
  
Zeor spun the girl around,"Come on, let's go into town, get all this off your mind. They've got some new games at the arcade I wanted to check out."  
  
Chihiro shook her head,"I don't really feel like going out."  
  
Zero took her wrist,"Come on, it'll be fun."  
  
Chihiro let out a deep sigh,"Fine."  
  
The two girls took off into the trees.  
  
Zero watched the trees fly by her,'Where are you, Haku? Why can't I sense you anymore? Chihiro needs you, she loves you, please, come back.'  
  
Before they even realized it, the two girls had landed in the very spot where Chihiro and Kohaku and parted ways three years ago.  
  
"What are we doing here?"Chihiro asked,"I thought we were going into town."  
  
Zero looked around,"I don't know. I thought so too."  
  
Chihiro shook her head,"This better not be a joke Zero."  
  
"It's not. I'm mean, ot heartless."Zero shook her head,"I guess part of me just brought us here." 'Or, maybe Kohaku brought us here.'  
  
"Let's just go, I don't want to be reminded of Haku right now."Chihiro started to leave,"He probably didn't care."  
  
"He cares about you Chihiro."Zero grabbed her wrist again,"Don't let yourself think anything else."  
  
"How would you know?!"Chihiro suddenly snapped,"You barely even know Kohaku, you wouldn't know what he thinks about me!"  
  
"That's where you're wrong, Chihiro."Zero grabbed her sunglasses,"No one knows Kohaku better than me."  
  
"Zeroku's the only one that knows him that well, if even her!"Chihiro broke her hand free.  
  
"That's true,"Zero pulled her sunglasses of,"because I am Zeroku." 


	4. Kohaku's Return

Chihiro stumbled back in shock,"But....what about.....?"  
  
"You mean the Zeroku that I was riding three years ago at the river?"Zero chuckled, "that was just an illusion I created, Kohaku could do the same thing if he wanted to."  
  
Chihiro nodded,"But still, how could you know how Kohaku felt about me?"  
  
"Beause we can feel each other's emotions."Zero smiled,"And I know, one of these days Kohaku will come back, and when he does you'll be there to greet him."  
  
Chihiro shook her head,"I should be so lucky."  
  
"Come on, Chi, let's check around here, see if we can find any sign of Kohaku."Zero suggested.  
  
"No, it's ok."Chihiro smiled,"Let's get back, you've got a book report to do and I need to get to work on my science project."  
  
"That works too."Zero hissed,'I hate homework.'  
  
The two girls flew back to the river without a word. When they finally got back, Mae was waiting for them. Zero landed first,"What's going on, mother?"  
  
"There's news about the war."Mae replied,"The Chineses have started bombing Tokyo."  
  
Zero let out a tired moan,"Ugh, just what we need, the war coming to us."  
  
Chihiro landed next to her,"More bombs? What's next?"  
  
"DEMONS!! DEMONS!!!!"several frightened spirits came racing through the trees,"DEMONS, RUN!!"  
  
Zero slapped her forehead,"You had to open your big mouth, didn't you?"  
  
Chihiro groaned,"Let's go."  
  
The two shot off in the direction the spirits had come from. When they finally reached the edge of the forest, they could clearly make out several shadowy creatures tearing away at the trees. Zero suddenly changed into her dragon form and charged one of them. The creature didn't have a chance, Zero tore it to shreads. Chihiro shook her head and muttered something about 'show-offy spirits' and formed a ball of purple energy in her hands, then shot it at one of the smaller demons, destorying it on impact. This continued until only one was left, one very big, ugly, demon with three heads.  
  
Zero fell back and stood next to Chihiro,"That's no demon, it's an evil spirit."  
  
"There's a difference?"Chihiro hissed.  
  
"It's a spirit, usually a guardian, that went bad. Demons are just evil by nature."Zero prepaired for an attack,"I think it was an evil spirit that's been causing all these earthquakes, and killed your parents."  
  
Chihiro's eyes glowed,"Say no more." She formed a gigiantic ball of energy on her hands,"Think you can tear him up if I weaken him?"  
  
"It'll take more than that,"Zero snarled,"we have to draw him back to the river. I need to be in my element to beat him. I'll recognize a fire spirit anywhere."  
  
"Then what do I do?"Chihiro asked.  
  
"He can't see, but he can smell your energy, lead him back to my river."Zero turned back to the forest,"You'll have to fly faster than ever before. If you can't outrun him yell for help from the other sprits. Just get to the river." She shot back into the trees.  
  
The spirit suddenly turned to her, and lunged. Chihiro turned and shot into the trees, keeping a tight hold on the energy ball in her hands. The monster drew closer, she ouldn't out run him, she wasn't fast enough. "Damn,"she clenched her fist for a moment, putting out the ball of energy and began to whistle as loud as she could,'Oh, please, let this work.'  
  
Several centaurs suddenly came out of the trees and attacked the spirit. Chihiro formed another energy ball and shot back into the trees. She finally broke through into the clearing where Zeroku's river was. She had reurned to her human form, and was standing on the water, eyes glowing a wild shade of red. Chihiro flew into the trees across the river and put out her energy ball as the dark spirit erupted from the trees. It stopped short at the river, moaning and growling angrily.  
  
"TAKE ONE MORE STEP, MONSTER, AND I'LL KILL YOU!!"Zero shouted, creating a gigantic wall of water behind her,"NOW GET BACK, SPIRIT!!" The spirit didn't listen, it simply charged, searching for the pure energy it had smelled just moments ago. Zero's eyes flared,"FINE, THEN YOU CAN DIE!!"  
  
The wall of water suddenly slammed down on her and the evil spirit. Chihiro watched in shock as the sprit was completely destoryed. When the water and steam finally cleared she saw Zero, still standing on the water, completely dry, surrounded by a glowing black aura,"Wow." She came out of the trees and stood on the river's edge,"Is it gone?"  
  
Zero turned to her and walked gently across the water, the black aura around her slowly dying away,"For good. That thing turned its back on us centuries ago. It tried to steal the river from my father, Garasaki. It took a full army of spirits to bring him down that time, this time he was stupid enough to follow you back to my river, where I could easily destory him."  
  
Chihiro absorbed all this,"Then, they won't come back?"  
  
"Those won't,"Zero looked into the trees,"but there'll be more, bigger and stronger too. Somehow I get the feeling that the World War isn't going to stay in this world much longer."  
  
Chihiro didn't know what she was talking about, then, but she knew, their life was going to seem very easy compared to what they were going to have to live with in a few years.  
  
  
  
Kohaku landed on the Zeroku River's edge,"Where is she?"  
  
"Kohaku?!"  
  
He spun around to see Mae walking toawrds him,"Mother!"  
  
"It's really you."the ancient dragon rested her head on the teen's shoulder, his shoulder length hair brushing her face,"I missed you so much."  
  
"And I you."he reached up and stroked her head,"Where is my sister?"  
  
"Zeroku is dead."Mae hung her head low, the night air swinging her mane around,"She died fighting your father. She turned against him and tried to take over the rivers."  
  
Kohaku was taken by suprise,"Zeroku wouldn't do that. She and father never got along, everyone knows that, but she'd never try to take the rivers from him!"  
  
Mae shook her head,"It's true. I watched the battle with my own eyes. Zeroku is dead. Now, leave, before Garasaki finds you. If he sees you he'll kill you, to him you are dead, and not permitted to return. Run, and never return. Go to the Spirit World, and don't come back. I don't want you to die too."  
  
Kohaku went wide eyed,"I can't just leave! This is my home. I've fought to hard to come back."  
  
"You have to go, my son. Garasaki wants you dead. There's no way you could defeat him. Just go, please, this is hard enough as is."  
  
Kohaku nodded,"I'm looking for someone, a human girl named Chihiro. Have you seen her?"  
  
Mae hung her head,"She was killed by Zeroku. The entire city was. Now, please, go, before Garasaki finds you."  
  
Kohaku looked back at the waterfall beinhd him,"Alright." He took half of a gold dragon's eye amulet out of his pocket,'I know you're alive Zero, and I will find you.' "goodbye, mother." With that he took off into the night sky. 


	5. War

'Planes, not more planes.'Zero was shaken out of her peaceful sleep by the sound of fighter jets flying overhead. She opened her steely-green eyes just in time to see several Chinese fighter jets fly over her,'Not again. I've been dealing with this for four years now!' She quickly got to her feet and walked to the edge of the waterfall. Her eyes fell on the river, seven years ago you could have seen the bottom it had been so clean, but now, now it was stained red from the blood that had been spilled in the rivers that fed it. Seven years had changed everything she knew, and she wasn't the only one. Chihiro had been forced to grow up so fast, and now she was out fighting with most of the men in Japan. While Zero had chosen to stay and protect the forest where they lived, Chihiro had chosen to fight alongside the other humans. The war had torn their world apart, seven years long, it was the longest and bloodiest war anyone had seen in centuries, well, any human. She looked off in the direction of the battle feild where Chihiro was fighting,"Please come back."  
  
"Lady Zeroku!"  
  
She turned to see an old black wolf running up the path behind her,"What is it, Komoni?"  
  
The wolf stopped next to her,"There's news from the battle feild."  
  
"Report."  
  
"The American's have completely withdrawn from our shores, and the fatality rate is rising rapidly."  
  
"Count of President Osborn to let us down."Zero muttered.  
  
"They're going to call a retreat, the soldiers will fall back to the northern fort."Komoni reported,"They can't hold out much longer. We'll have to leave the forest."  
  
"We can't!"Zero groaned,"This forest is the last safe haven in Japan, we can't abandon it. There's nowhere else to go, besides the spirit world, and we aren't allowed to bring humans there. What news of Chihiro?"  
  
"She's been shot a few times, and she's deathly tired, but she should make it."Komoni replied,"I still don't see why she and Heero had to go fight with the humans."  
  
"It's their way of protecting their home, just as we protect this forest."Zero replied,"We all must do our parts, be it fighting, guarding, or healing. I'd be out there too, if I weren't bound by Garasaki's law. I can't beleive he won't let us get involved in the war, every other country has their spirits helping, and we're stuck here, hiding like a bunch of humans."  
  
"But Chihiro is a human."Komoni pointed out.  
  
"Not in my eyes, she is my guardian, and I know she will protect us, and this forest. It is the only safe haven we have left. If Garasaki would just let us fight back like we should, then this war would be over by now, but he won't let us." Her train of thoughts was broken by the sound of a low horn shaking the trees,"Great, another demon raid, better get this done before someone gets hurt." She quickly changed into a dragon and flew into the trees.  
  
  
  
Chihiro ducked as another bullet whizzed by her head,"Ugh, this can't go on." She looked around, she'd been fighting this battle for over a week now, and they were getting their butts kicked! She could see bodies everywhere, both Chinese and Japanese, and more were falling by the minute. Her one purple top had been died a disgusting shade of brown by blood and dirt, and her now waste-length hair wasn't fairing much better. She fingered Zero's gold amulet around her neck,"I hope Zero and the other are fairing better than I am."  
  
"Lady Chihiro!!"a white wolf raced up to her,"The general's called for an all out retreat! Everyone has to fall back!"  
  
Chihiro let out a low moan,"We can't let them get past the Hidenshi Valley, Artine's Forest is the last haven in Japan, we can't let the Chinese get their hands on it, especially because of the portal to the Spirit World!"  
  
"We have no choice!"the wolf retorted.  
  
"Fine, I'll create a barrier so the others can escape, hurry, and get back to the base Aboshi."  
  
The wolf nodded and ran back into the trees behind her. Chihiro turned back to the battle feild and her eyes began to glow purple. A solid amethyst barrier suddenly shot up in front of their half of the battle feild. Chihiro managed to hold it for a few minutes, then something struck the back of her head, and everything went black.  
  
  
  
Mae paced back and forth on the cliff's edge, ears twitching, trying to pick up a sound, any hint of life in the base across the valley,"She's late. The retreat was called over two hours ago, where is Chihiro?"  
  
Finally, she heard something, Aboshi. He raced across a thin rope bridge and bowed before Mae,"Great Spirit of the Rivers, I bear bad news of the battle."  
  
"Forget the manners, Aboshi, where's Chihiro?"Mae snapped.  
  
"I'm afraid she's gone M.I.A. on us, my lady, she just vanished."Aboshi lowered his head to the point where his nose was almost touching the ground,"I should have stayed with her, protected her, but I didn't. I'm afraid she may have been captured."  
  
Mae dug her claws into the earth,"My daughter won't like this."  
  
"I realize, m'lady."Aboshi whispered,"I must return to the base now, I will bring you word when I get it."  
  
"Good luck to you all."Mae nodded as the white wolf raced back across the bridge, then glared up at the sky,"Is this your sick idea of a joke?! We don't need this!!"  
  
"Stop yelling, it's not like they can hear you."Madenso trotted up behind her,"What news did Aboshi have?"  
  
"Chihiro's gone missing, they beleive the Chinese may have captured her."  
  
"Great, Zeroku's going to love this."Madenso growled sarcasticly,"So, who should tell her?"  
  
"Tell me what?"Zero landed gracefully on Madenso's back.  
  
The two spirits exchanged glances, finally, Mae spoke,"Chihiro's gone missing."  
  
Zero's eyes went wide and began glowing deep red and a black aura began glowing around her,"What?!"  
  
"I'm sorry."Mae lowered her head,"There is nothing we could do."  
  
Zero's aura flared dangerously, and, Mae guessed, every drop of water within fifty miles of them was probably boiling and taited with some kind of poisin by now,"Why me?!"  
  
"ZEROKU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Zero cringed,"Daddy dearest is mad."  
  
"I'd say that's an understatement."Mae snarled,"There are times when I wonder why I put up with him. You'd better go, unless you have a death wish."  
  
Zero nodded and flew back into the forest. 


	6. Daddy Dearest is Mad

Zero shot through the trees, now ankle-length hair flying behind her in the wind. Before she even realized it, the young spirit was standing before her father, the devil himself, in her opinion, and she wasn't the only one who thought so,"What do you want, now?"  
  
"You tainted the river water, didn't you?!"Garasaki roared,"I can smell the poisin!"  
  
"So what if I did?!"Zero snapped,"I'm fed up with taking orders from you, you're absolutely nuts! Chihiro's gone missing because I'm not allowed to get involved in the war! The Chinese have been on our shores for nearly five years! If you'd just let us fight like we're supposed, they'd be gone by now!"  
  
"I don't care!!"Garasaki's mane stood up with his rage,"We're not to get involved, it's not our war!"  
  
Zero clenched a fist, the water of the river behind her boiling dangerously,"It's very rapidly becoming our war! We've had demons attacking us for the last ten years, and you haven't lifted a finger to help us!!"  
  
"It seems to me you, Chihiro, and the wolves have already gotten involved!"  
  
"They're not bound by your laws, they're allowed to fight!"  
  
"But you are not!"Garasaki roared, picking the teen up with his tail,"And I've had it with you!"  
  
"Well, that makes two of us!"Zero snarled,"And what are you gonna do about it?!"  
  
Garasaki grinned,"Banish you."  
  
Zero paled,"You can't! I'm the one who's kept this forest alive for the past four years! If I hadn't been here when th edemosn first attacked this country would be ruled by the Communists by now!"  
  
"If I EVER see you anywhere near my rivers again I'll kill you!"Garasaki threatened.  
  
Zero didn't move,"Your rivers?! The rivers belong to all of us!"  
  
Garasaki flung her across the clearing into a large tree, making a sizable dent in it,"NOW LEAVE!!!"  
  
Zero pulled herself out of the dent,"Good rittance!!" The water from the river suddenly flew up and slammed into the huge dragon, and Zero shot off into the trees, muttering a string of profanities that would have made Eminem look like Barney.(Barney *shudders*)  
  
  
  
"Ugh, where am I?"Chihiro rubbed her head. she pulled herself to her feet. She was in a stone cell, her clothes and hair were a mess, covered in blood and dirt. "What happened? I was holding up a barrier, and then, my head...."  
  
"I see you're awake."  
  
She looked up to see a young man with pith black hair standing in front of her. His steely green eyes seemed familiar, but at the same time completely strange to her,"Who are you, and where am I?"  
  
"That's for me to know."the man snarled,"All you need to know is that Zero is gone, banished from Japan by Garasaki for disobeying him. My men are currently hunting her down, and she'll soon be dead."  
  
Chihiro paled,"You can't! If it weren't for Zero the Chinese would already have Japan!"  
  
"Exactly, dear Chihiro......"  
  
  
  
Zero shot through the trees, not caring about the branches slapping and cutting her face. She just had to get away from there, she knew very well how powerful Garasaki was, and she wasn't dumb enough to take him on by herself. Suddenly something wizzed by her head,"What the.....?" She spun around to see a pack of centaurs running behind her,"Why me?!" She ducked in and out of the trees, dodging several arrows in the process.  
  
"Give it up, spirit!"one of the centaurs roared.  
  
"In your dreams!"Zero snapped, trapping the horse-men in a large, white bubble, then shot off into the trees. Sharp pain suddenly shot through her side. She looked back to find a black arrow embedded in her side,"UGH!!" Then she saw it, the tunnel that led to the Spirit World,"Yes!" She shot in the tunnel, and the ground started shaking,"Oh, GREAT!"  
  
The tunnel began to crumble around her, and several large chunks began to fall. Zero could see the exit now, and she began to fly faster, she was almost out. She was dizzy, tired, she'd lost too much blood. Her vision was blurring, but she could make out the bath house. She had to make it, just a little farther..... She blacked out.  
  
  
  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S ABANDONED US?!?!!!!!!!!!!!"Mae roared,"Zero would never do that!!!!"  
  
"I'm afraid so."Garasaki lowered his head,"She said that we're 'a pack of low-life, useless, wimpy, spoiled brats who couldn't defend ourselves if our lives depended on it'."  
  
Mae dug her claws into the dirt,"You banished her, didn't you?!"  
  
"Why would I do that, she's my daughter!"Garasaki snapped.  
  
"Because you did the same thing to Kohaku!"Madenso retorted,"Everyone knows you kept him from protecting the river when the humans filled it in, then you banished him from the rivers!"  
  
"I did not!"Garasaki slapped the centaur into a tree with his tail,"How dare you say that!!"  
  
"How dare you lie to us!"Mae retorted,"You're going to get us all killed!"  
  
"Keep your mouth shut!"Garsaki roared,"Zeroku abandonned us, as did Kohaku! Once twins always twins."  
  
"You banished them because they posed a threat to you."Madenso snarled,"They frightened you, it's that simple. Their combined power would have destroyed you!"  
  
"SHUT UP!!"Madenso was thrown into another tree,"IF I HEAR ONE MORE WORD OUT OF YOU I WILL KILL YOU BOTH!"  
  
"Lord Garasaki!"a large, burly centaur raced up,"Zeroku is dead my lord, she tried to flea to the Spirit World, and we collaped to tunnel on her!"  
  
"YOU WHAT?!"Garasaki roared,"HOW DARE YOU!! WE NEED THAT TUNNEL TO RETURN TO THE SPIRIT WORLD!!!"  
  
"Is that all you care about?!"Mae snapped,"The Spirit World, what about our daughter!?"  
  
"ZEROKU AND KOHAKU ARE DEAD TO US, IF YOU MENTION THEM ONE MORE TIME I'LL KILL YOU!!"  
  
Mae lowered her head and walked back to the Zeroku River. The river was turning red, Zero was injured, but not dead, not yet. This lit a spark of hope in the ancient dragon,'Hold on, my daughter, we need you. You and kohaku will be our only hope if the war spreads to the spirit world, please, find you brother and come back to us.'  
  
  
  
Garasaki watched Madenso dissapear into the trees, then flew off in the direction of Hidenshi's Valley,'That dragon is going to be the death of me.' He flew over then valley, the base, the battle feild, and out to the ocean. He landed on a gigiantic battle ship where several Chinese soldiers were waiting for him.  
  
"Welcome back, Master Garasaki."  
  
"How's Chihiro doing?"Garasaki asked.  
  
"She's tried beating down the walls several times, she finally fainted from exhaustion."  
  
"Good. The worse she is the better, now, I want a crew down at the Spirit World tunnel to rebuild it. We need to get it up again, pronto!"  
  
"Yessir!" 


	7. Welcome To The Bath House

'Ugh, what happened?'Zero's eyes fluttered open,'Where am I?' She weakly sat up and looked around, she was in some kind of boiler room,'Boiler room? Ugh, Chihiro's stories are gettin' to me.'  
  
"Kamaji, chow time!"  
  
'Kamaji?'Zero slapped her forehead,'Ow.'  
  
"Oh, you're awake." She turned to see Lin standing over her.  
  
"Yeah, I am."Zero rubbed her head,"Where am I?"  
  
"Yubaba's bath house."Kamaji looked over at her,"Who are you?"  
  
"I think my name's Zeroku, but everything that's happened lately is starting to give me doubts about my brain."Zero hissed.  
  
"Zeroku?"Kamaji eyed her,"That's Haku's sister's name."  
  
"No, ya think?"Zero rolled her eyes,"That's because I AM Haku's sister."  
  
"He's not gonna be pleased to see you."Lin grunted,"I'm suprised you're even willing to show your face around here after what you did."  
  
Zero rubbed her forehead,"What did I do this time?"  
  
"What do you mean, what did you do?"Lin hissed,"You wiped out an entire city!"  
  
"I did?"Zero flopped back down on her bed,"Ugh, my head's pounding, yell at me for something I didn't do later."  
  
Lin glared at her,"How dare you say that after you KILLED Chihiro."  
  
Zero shot up,"I WHAT?!"  
  
"You heard me."Lin snarled,"Haku came back four years ago and said you'd killed Chihiro."  
  
"Chihiro's my best friend, besides, I just saw Chihiro the other day, she was fine!" 'Sure, she's gone missing now, but, these two probably don't need to know that.'  
  
"You expect us to believe that?!"Kamaji snapped.  
  
Zero gave an annoyed grunt,"Why do I get the VERY annoying feeling that Garasaki had something to do with this?"  
  
"Garasaki?"  
  
"My jerk-off father."Zero snarled,"He's been out to get me for the last millenia, ever since Kohaku and I saved him from getting killed by a renegade guardian."  
  
"How do we know you're not lying?"Lin asked.  
  
Zero rubbed her temples,'What I'd give for my amulet right now.' "I can't give you any proof besides my word. I've never even been in the Spirit World before, I was too busy babysitting Kohaku and the rest of my brothers."  
  
Lin watched her warily,"What are you doing here, anyway?"  
  
"I got banished from Japan by Garasaki."Zero grumbled,"I got mad about Chihiro going missing and poisined the river water, going against my father's law, and he got fed up with my attitude and banished me. I swear he makes Yubaba look like a sweatheart."  
  
"So, you don't have anywhere else to go?"Kamaji asked,"Yubaba needs some new workers."  
  
"I do NOT want to get stuck living under that witch for the rest of my life, no thanks."Zero crossed her arms,"Besides, I have to find Chihiro and my brother."  
  
"That could be a problem considering the fact that the tunnel to the human world collapsed."Lin pointed out.  
  
Zero would have been pounding her head on a wall if she'd had the strength to move,"If Kohaku doesn't kick my butt Chihiro will, but not before I get my hands on Garasaki. Where is my brother?"  
  
"He wanders back here every now and then."Kamaji shrugged,"There are rumors going around that he's working for the gods."  
  
"The gods? Please, Kawa no Kami can barely stand having Kohaku and his attitude around."Zero shook her head,"I know, they get along about as well as Yubaba and Zeniba."  
  
"Who made you an expert on the gods?"Kamaji asked.  
  
"I'm not, I just know alot about Kawa no Kami because I'm a river spirit myself, and I spent a lot of time among the gods when they came to the human world to speak with my parents and the forest spirits. Kohaku had a tendancy to tick the gods off when we were little, it wasn't a pretty sight."  
  
"Why does this not suprise me?"Lin asked dryly,"Listen, unless you get a job here you won't be able to stay, and your best bet to find Haku is to stay here. I suggest to ask Yubaba for a job."  
  
"You're helping me now?"  
  
"I'm makign sure Haku gets the chance to kill you."  
  
"If I die so will my brother, the existance of my river is the only reason he's alive right now. No spirit can survive without a body to inhabit, and, because our rivers were fed by the same waterfall and end at the same point we were born as twin rivers. Now that his river's been filled in, it's my river that' s been keeping him alive, but, now that Garasaki's in control, I don't know how much longer it will be before the Chinese get their hands on my river too."  
  
"Come on, I'll take you to see Yubaba."Lin hissed.  
  
  
  
Chihiro pounded her head on the wall of her cell,"Why me?!"  
  
"Because you love Kohaku."Garasaki replied, strutting into the cell,"And because you stood aginst me. You've been asking for this since the day you fell in Zeroku's river, that's why I killed your parents, to pay you back for turning the forest against me."  
  
"The forest was already turning against you when I came!"Chihiro retorted.  
  
"You're just a human, what do you know about the Spirit World besides what Zeroku and Kohaku taught you?"  
  
Chihiro suppressed a snarl,"What do you know about your children, or the forest around you?"  
  
Garasaki brought his hand across the girl's face,"Shut the hell up."  
  
  
  
"Rei, Lin, get in here!"  
  
Zero rolled her eyes,"Ugh, now what?"  
  
Lin glared at her,"What did I do to deserve this?"  
  
They walked lazily into Yubaba's office, where said witch was waiting for them,"There you are."  
  
"No duh."Zero muttered.  
  
"Rei..."Zero stuck out her tongue at the witch. "I've got a job for you."  
  
"Oh, brother."Zero sat down on the of the heads that was rolling around the room.  
  
"Kawa no Kami's heir is is coming in a few days, and I want the two of you to take care of him. He's been through a hard battle and he'll need someone to watch him."Yubaba explained,"Since Rei is a river spirit she should be able to understand him better than the rest of these buffoons."  
  
Zero nodded,"I understand, what is his name?"  
  
"I'm not sure, I haven't been told."  
  
"Just my luck."Zero muttered,"It's probably someone I hate."  
  
"I can only hope."Lin hissed.  
  
"He'll be here in three days, don't mess this up." the two young women nodded. "Now get out of here!"  
  
  
  
Zero grumbled lightly as she scrubbed away at the big tub. She'd been at this for ATLEAST three hours, probably more, and she was getting nowhere,"I hate this. The moment everyone clears out I'll get some water from Kamaji and boil all of the crap off here."  
  
"That's not gonna happen any time soon."Lin slid down into the tub next to her,"Everyone's getting ready for Kawa no Kami's heir, they're gonna be up all night."  
  
"Shut up."Zero glared at the sludge in front of her,"Explain to me why we got this job?"  
  
"Because we're going to take care of Kawa no Kami's heir the frogs think it should be our job."Lin hissed.  
  
Zero muttered something unprintable,"This better be worth it. If I don't hunt Kohaku down soon I'll go crazy."  
  
"And I'll go crazy if I have to put up with you much longer."Lin hissed.  
  
"That makes two of us."Zero suddenly picked up the bucket of water at her feet and flung it on the wall. The water began to boil and cut away at the grime and muck,"There's not enough water here to get it all off, but it should help."  
  
Lin watched in suprise as the muck and grime began to crumbled away as the boiling water cut through it,"How hot is that water?"  
  
"You've stuck your hand in fire before, right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"About twice that. I'm using my powers to keep the water from turning into stream."Zero explained,"Ugh, but it gives you one heck of a headache." Within a few seconds the water had completely evaporated, and Zero was leaning against the wall for support, too tired to stand up,"I hate doing that." 


End file.
